Falling into Place
by takemykeyboard
Summary: They were falling. Ladybug was detransforming. They were terrified.
1. Chapter 1

They were falling.

Ladybug was detransforming.

They were terrified.

Not long ago everything went according to usual. As classes ended for the day, a woman in vibrant pinks and greens flew by. The dark tails of her dress trailed flowers in her wake. Marinette heard a shout of "Run!" and used the ensuing panic as her chance to transform. She ducked behind the inner staircase of the courtyard and emerged as Ladybug.

"Keep running everyone! Safely get home!" Satisfied her classmates were out of direct harm, Ladybug swung through Paris on a normal search for a poor transformed citizen.

She let her mind wander as she sped around the buildings of her city. As usual, her mind wandered to Adrien. They had gotten closer thanks to Alya insisting that they need to invite the boys to almost everything the girls did. Marinette rarely stuttered, though the still had a habit of making a fool of herself in other ways. Alya found she had even more in common with Nino than she thought after the Animan incident and Marinette enjoyed having another subject in talks of romance.

"Je suis La Flore and I will avenge my garden!"

Ladybug broke from her thoughts. She changed direction toward the akuma with her yoyo. In a few swings, she landed lightly next to her partner in the park.

Chat Noir gave a sweeping bow, "How sweet of you to drop in my lady. I hope thistle be a quick battle. Then I'll have more time with you and your tulips!" He winked.

Ladybug groaned, "How long have you been saving flower puns?"

"You never know when you'll need one in the fuchsia!" Chat grinned.

"Okay kitty let's get this over with before your puns get even worse." Ladybug turned to face the akuma. "No more trapping innocent citizens Flore! It's time for you to be pruned!"

"Why does she get to make flower jokes…" Chat grumbled.

Ladybug activated her lucky charm. A gardening glove dropped into her hands. "What to I do with this?"

Chat peeked over her shoulder. "Sorry to plow through this moment LB, but someone is blooming mad."

La Flore raised her trowel. Dark, thorny vines lifted from the ground and swirled around her. "You will become my new garden!" The trowel lowered and vines flung themselves at the heroes.

Ladybug saw a flash of black and red on the vines. She had an idea. "Chat distract her!" Ladybug dove into a roll, pulling on the glove. Chat Noir ran on all fours toward Flore, dodging vines as they whipped past. As the vines followed her partner, Ladybug grabbed one and pulled, hand protected. Flore stumbled in the air and spun to the source.

"Ladybugs are supposed to help plants grow you pest!" the vine wrapped itself around Ladybug's hand. Flore's trowel pointed at her, the vines let Chat go in favor of obtaining the Ladybug miraculous.

"Yes!" A pink butterfly appeared in front of Flore's eyes. "Seize her miraculous and you will have your garden!" Le Papillon could see Ladybug's power coming closer to his grasp.

Ladybug's lucky charm was working as normal. As she jerked the vines to throw Flore off balance again, Chat Noir raised himself on his staff to grab the trowel. His hand almost touched the tool when Flore regained her balance and twisted in midair. Her vines released Ladybug and ensnared Chat Noir in a solid sphere of green.

"What are you doing? You almost had Ladybug's miraculous!" Papillon smacked his hands to his head in frustration. "Get them!"

La Flore spun back to Ladybug, raising her and her vines out of the hero's reach. "If you want your alley cat back, you will give up your miraculous. She flew with a trapped Chat to the top of an office building across the street.

Ladybug cursed under her breath. Her time was almost up. There were only two spots left of her earrings and no time for a plan. She threw her yoyo to an antenna on the building and launched herself toward Flore. Ladybug heard a "Cataclysm!" from her right and saw a flash of green light. A small beep rang in her ears. Distracted, a vine slammed into her middle and sent her flying, disoriented, to the ground far below.

"Ladybug!" Black surrounded her and she felt the jerk of Chat's staff against the ground. Another beep sounded as they escaped.

"Chat, I'm-"

"I know." He pulled her closer as they sailed over Paris in search of a place to hide.


	2. Chapter 2

Chat barely had time to drop onto an alley street before Ladybug detransformed. At the flash of light, he pulled her close. "My eyes are shut. There's no one around us. I didn't see anything and I don't think anyone else did either."

Confirming that Chat's eyes were indeed safely shut, Marinette pulled away. "Thank you chaton." She trusted her partner completely, but it calmed her nerves to see it for herself. After checking if Tikki was okay, she opened her purse to let Tikki rest until they found cookies. She glanced quickly at their surroundings. She recognized the area and took a sharp breath in surprise.

"Uh, could you chloro-fill me in on the plan here my lady?" he whispered, afraid of giving her away, "I really don't want to leave you detransformed with madame crazy flying around trapping people."

"Chat, we're near my house." She grabbed his hand. "Keep your eyes closed. If we go quickly, we can go in the back door and up the stairs before my parents see us." Without waiting for an answer, she started to jog down the alley toward the back door.

"But Ladybug what if I-"  
"Ssh! Keep it down and we'll make it to my room!" Marinette flung the back door open and bolted to the stairs. Chat Noir likely hadn't been in her parents' bakery and even if he had, the connecting door was safely shut. She near dragged Chat up the stairs to her room and slammed the trap door shut. Marinette dropped her partner's hand. He smelled something vaguely familiar as they ran, but he couldn't put his claw on it.

"I don't think anyone saw us. Now I'll run down casually, get Tikki some food, and come back to get us out of here and transform."  
Chat stood straight and saluted his lady. "And I'll stand here with my eyes closed until you come back and safely get us out of here to transform."

"Good kitty," she scratched him under his chin, earning a small purr. She reached into her purse and gave Tikki's head a small pet. "Ready Tikki?" With a small nod from her kwami, she lowered herself into her family's apartment.

Marinette tiptoed into the kitchen. She was hoping the batch of chocolate chip her maman made for the family that morning were still on the counter. Just as she rounded the counter, she heard her father's voice booming from the bakery.

"Could you bring me the extra powdered sugar bag dear? I forgot it in the top cupboard!" Marinette swore her papa had ears like a bat.

"Yes papa!" Glad he didn't use her name, she swept a few cookies into her bag and turned to face the top cupboard. "We meet again." She muttered.

Marinette dragged one of their kitchen chairs up to their countertop and tested its stability with her foot. Satisfied with it, she slowly crept up to the top cupboard, holding on to the others for balace. She carefully opened the door and started to slide the bag toward her. Gathering it in a bear hug, she pushed the cupboard door shut with her elbow and hopped off the chair. Marinette kicked it closer to the table and decided it was good enough. She trotted over to the bakery door, gave it a light tap with her foot, and felt her papa take the bag.

"Thank you!" He whistled his way into the bakery.

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. She checked her bag. "All ready to go Tikki?"

"Ready to go! But you should hurry back to Chat Noir!"

"Right!" After checking that the coast was clear and no one would see Chat Noir, she climbed up to her room in time to see a flash of green light."

Marinette was in shock. "No-"  
"My Lady- I'm sorry I- I forgot about-"

Bless her cat his eyes were still closed.

"Adrien."


	3. Chapter 3

{{ Sorry for adding and A/n, but I completely did not realize Chapter 2 was never posted here! So both chapters 2 and 3 are being posted now to catch it up with Ao3 and Tumblr. Those will always be updated first and together, so you can find me with the same name on both if nothing seems to be posted here! Thank you for waiting!}}

"You- you know who I am?"

A small, black something flew out from behind his shirt. "Of course she knows who you are! Your face is all over Paris!" The little cat stopped as he saw his partner's charge. "Oooooooooh."

Tikki flew from Marinette's purse in a red blur and tackled the cat into Marinette's loft. "We're staying out of this Plagg!"

Marinette hardly noticed what happened between the kwamis. She was trying to process that her Chat Noir is also her Adrien. Her annoying kitty is also her sweet crush. The cat who is in love with the ladybug her is the same person that the Marinette her has a crush on who so happens to be Adrien Agreste? How many Ladybug/hers and Adrien/Chats are there? Marinette shook her head to clear her mind. She wasn't going to let herself stutter and ramble in her own thoughts. She looked back up at Cha-Adrien.

He was chewing his lip and rubbing the back of his head, waiting for Marinette to say something. His hair was ruffled in a mixture of Adrien and Chat that made Marinette's heart ache. She didn't know how she didn't notice before. Whenever Chat calmed akumatized citizens after they were purified or when he spoke to a little kid dressed like Chat Noir, that was Adrien. Whenever Adrien leaned over to Nino and made a pun in class or when he grinned and swaggered down a runway that was Chat Noir. Marinette was amazed at how quickly she calmed down and came to terms with the fact she fell for the same person twice and in different ways.

"Adrien."

Said Adrien had moved on to twisting the ring on his right hand. How had she not noticed the ring? Granted, she was often staring at Adrien's face if he was near and she had more pressing things to concentrate on when he was Chat Noir. Speaking of Chat Noir…

"Papillon! Adrien, I mean Chat, I mean, agh!" Marinette took a deep breath, "La Flore is still out there!"  
Adrien jumped slightly, clutching his hand to his chest. "Right. I need cheese for Plagg." His voice was low, as if he were afraid to startle her.

Marinette moved forward and lightly put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll get some cheese. I promise we can talk about this later, but for now we need to save Paris." Adrien smiled.

Marinette's second trip to the family kitchen was faster than the first and soon came back with a piece of brie. Miraculously, Plagg didn't complain about the lack of camembert. As he ate, Marinette changed back into Ladybug.

"Done yet, Plagg?" Adrien asked as he held out his hand.

Plagg sighed. "I guess so." He pouted slightly, but followed Adrien's command.

Watching her Adrien change into her Chat was something indescribable. It started with his feet and moved up in a bright green light not unlike his Cataclysm. Adrien stretched his arms out and let the power move over his skin. Marinette knew the feeling of having the transformation wash over her. Changing into Ladybug always made it feel like there was something thrumming just under her skin. Tikki told her it was the power of the suit. Maybe Adrien felt the same thing. He pulled his hands through his hair and small black cat hears folded out from underneath. His hair poofed out and, for a moment, Marinette saw her Chat Noir with her Adrien's face. Two boys so distant somehow present in the same space in her room and her heart. Adrien's fingers brushed over his still-closed eyes and her entire Chat was there, down to the small smile that pulled one side of his mouth up farther than the other. It wasn't his perfect model smile, but it was his perfect Chat smile.

"Ready to go my lady?" He never opened his eyes, but he looked toward her like he could see her anyway.

"Of course, Chaton." Marinette took his hand and led him to her balcony stairs, "Let's go save Paris together."


	4. Chapter 4

Defeating La Flore was easier than before. Ladybug and Chat Noir were more in sync than ever and the Parisian citizens loved them for it. Waving to the crowd of admirers with a spotted trowel, Ladybug shouted her power's name and released ladybugs through the city. They flew through the city and surrounded each ivy ball until the captive citizens were free. Finally, they lit lightly upon La Flore, changing her back to a small florist with a a cracked trowel in her lap.

The trowel mended and the hurtful words erased themselves from a nearby flower cart. "I think you need this more than my bugs. Your flowers are beautiful and Paris is happy that you are here." Ladybug smiled and led the woman to her family.

As soon as the woman was safe, Ladybug was surrounded by reporters. "Ladybug! What happened before you disappeared? Ladybug! Why were you able to defeat La Flore so quickly this time? Ladybug, how are you able to defeat these villans? Ladybug, what makes Paris citizens turn into these powered terrors? Should we be afraid?" The crowd pressed closer with every question and Marinette was quickly reaching her stuttering point. As she took a deep breath to answer, a heavy arm fell across her shoulders.

"Purr-lease my dear Paris citizens! My Lady and I don't have all the answers yet, but we will continue to keep everyone safe until we do!" Chat pulled her closer to his side and squeezed her shoulder slightly.

Marinette let Chat take the lead. She leaned into his as he grinned his way through the reporters' questions. It felt nice to take a moment and relax after a long, exhausting day. She snuck a glance up to her kitty's face. He called her his lady. After everything that happened and what he knows now, he still calls her his lady.

Matching beeps sounded through the interviews. "Well I am so sorry, but we must run before this becomes a cat-astrophe!" Chat gave a small salute to the cameras and bounced away on his staff still holding  
Ladybug.

He lowered them down onto a low-walled roof. They sat against a crate as they detransformed.

"Better then last time huh Mari?" Adrien smiled at Marinette. She huffed a small laugh and pulled Tikki closer in her arms

"Much better. And less dangerous." She opened her purse and gently placed Tikki onto the pillow sewed specially for her. Marinette held out a hand to Adrien.

"Uhhh?" Adrien looked shocked. "You want my..?" He held up his hand limply.

Mari laughed fully this time. "Plagg kitty. There's room in my bag and I bet he and Tikki will want to catch up." She flattened her hand for emphasis.

"Oh." Adrien reached into his pocket to pull out the small cat, who was very attached to a piece of cheese. He placed him into Marinette's hand and the two kwami settled close to rest.

Marinette looked back to Adrien. "We need to talk about this don't we Adrien." Said Adrien was still blushing from the earlier mix up.

He took in a deep breath and let it out in one go. "I'm Chat Noir."

"Yes."

"You're Ladybug."

"Yes."

"We have somehow fought together all this time and never realized that we sat next to each other literally every day."

"Yes."

Adrien nodded slowly. "The pigtails should have tipped me off."

Marinette tilted her head at Adrien. He was looking past the distant skyline and his eyes were a little glassed over. She nudged him lightly with her elbow. "You okay Adrien?"

He started slightly. "Yes! I mean- I just- uhhhh…" His face deepening in color as he pointedly watched his shoes.

"Are you sure? You got jumpy all of a sudden." Marinette drew her legs up to her chest and leaned her arms on them.

Adrien curled into himself. "I have spent the entirety of my hero career loudly professing my love to you without knowing who you were, then spent a couple years of that hero career very confused because  
there was a girl in my class who became one of my closest friends. Then, I had to figure out what I felt for that close friend because I also loved my lady, and now my lady and my first friend are the same person and a lot of things make sense all at once. Too much sense." He rubbed the back of his neck; his ring glinting in the early evening sun. "I think I'm freaked out that I'm not freaked out? I went on autopilot out of shock up until we got here honestly."

Marinette burst out laughing; she couldn't help it. "Adrien, I did the exact same thing when I walked up the steps to my room and found you standing in the middle of my room."

"You did?" Her kitty straightened.

"Adrien I stood there for a full minute and just stared at you remember?"

"No," he waved his hand in front of his face, "my eyes were closed."

Marinette laughed again. "Kitty we may be the most unobservant people in Paris, but we figured it out eventually." She froze. "Wait, wait wait wait." She whipped her entire body to look at Adrien. "Did you say you love me?"

Adrien spluttered, "Uh um I- I meant- um uh er I- yes?" His face was entirely red by this point and he fashioned it into some sort of smile/grimace combination.

Marinette sighed. It still looked adorable on him. "Good." She settled back against the crate and leaned her head on Adrien's shoulder. "Because I've loved both Chat and Adrien for a while now and it makes everything much easier."

She felt a soft tickle on her face as a blond head rested on hers and a hand meeting hers on the ground. Marinette squeezed it and smiled to herself, ready for whatever comes next.

Finally done! Thank you for keeping up with the long hiatuses (and the disappearing kwami at the end oops). I couldn't resist a cliche ending ;)


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